Refracting-lens for headlights.



R.B.JES1ER..

RE fBA-CTING LENS FORIHEADLIGHTS.

APPLICATION FILED APB-1B I917- 1,290,567, Patented Jan. 7.1919.

mirnn erases earns W RDHALD B. JESTER, OF NEW CUMBERLAND, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO JESTER MOTOR LENS COMPANY, OF NEW CUMBERLAND, WEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORA- T1021 OF WEST VIRGINIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

Application filed April 18, 1917. Serial No. 163,047.

To all whom it may, concern 7 Be it known that l, RONALD B. Jnsrnn, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Cumberland, in the county of Han cock and State of lVest Virginia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Refracting-Lenses for Headlights, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in headlights for automobiles and the like, and relates more particularly to a novel construction of lens for application to the same.

An object of the present invention is to refract the light rays projected from the lamp forwardly and downwardly throughoutan area no higher than the top of the lens when located in the lamp, and to provide a lens through which may be projected, in a substantially straight line there rem, a small portion of the light rays, and to defiect downwardly at various distances in front of the lamp tile major portion of the rays.

' The invention further aims at the prov sion of a lens of this character which may be readily cast so as to be economically produced, and the provision of a lens which may be applied in the ordinary manner to the lamps now employed.

The above, and yarious other objects and advantages of this invention will be in part described, and in part understood, from the following detailed. description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is av face view of a. lens con may be provided with a transversely inclined or beveled edge 11 adapted to seat in the front part of the lamp for holding the lens in position in the usual manner.

On preferably one face of the lens body 10 is integrally formed therewith a plurality of prismatic projections 12, the same being disposed in closely spaced-apart relation in any suitable manner, preferablyin staggered or oflsct vertical rows, as shown in Fig. 1. These projections 12 are preferably of such forn'i to provide bases 13 there-between exposing the relatively fiat adjacent side or face of the lens body. These prismatic projections 12 have their outer faces inclined, preforablyv all in one direction to refract all of the substantially parallel rays projected against the lens in the same direction, the spacing of the projections 12 from one another spreading the light rays thus refracted throughout a substantial area in front of the lamp, The outer inclined faces of the projections 12 are preferably flat for the purpose of projecting the light rays in substantially parallel pencils forwardly from the lamp to offset the diffusion of the rays and to thus project the rays at a substantial distance forwardly from the lamp Within the described area.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, the prismatic projections 12 are arranged upon the inner face of the lens body 10 and the outer fiatfaces of the projections 12 are inclined inwardly and downwardly with respect to the lamp to project or' refract the light rays, downwardly in front of the lamp. Preferably, the projections 12 cover twothii'ds of the surface area of the lens and thus effectually break up the parallel pencils of rays which are projected directly through the lens at the spaces 13 between the projections. The glare or blinding effect of the headlight is thus considerably reduced or eliminated, and suiiicicnt of the parallel rays or pencils of light is transmitted through the lens to moderately illuminate the entire prescribed area in front of the lamp, Each projection 12 forms an independent lens refracting the pencils of light projected therethrough in independent areas so that the combined intensities of all of the pencils of light projected from the headlight are dissipated and refracted in different directions.

The roadway in front of the headlight is thus brilliantly illuminated, and the desired result or eflect of the headlight is produced.

It is of course understood that the prismatic projections 12 may be inclined at any desired angle to producethe result desired,

and that when the projections 12 are plac d upon the outer-face of the lens body 10, the faces of the projections must be inclined downwardly and outwardly, or in substantially the same relation to the lens body as is shown in Fig. 2. This result-may be accomplished by merely reversing the lens and retaining thetop edge thereof uppermost.

It is of course understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction of the above-specifically described lens, and that the prismatic projections 12 may be placed in any suitable manner upon the body of the lens fiat faceslying in parallel planes, and having on its inner side raised disk-shaped projections spaced apart from one another to form uninterrupted surface portions on the body between and about the projections, the disk-shaped projections having. fiat outer faces lying in planes inclined to'the' lane of the adjacent side of the body portion and having substantiallycylindrical peripheral edges.

RONALD B. J ssriia. 

